Method for the high speed folding of sheet paper

ABSTRACT

A process for the high speed folding of sheet paper employing an automatic folding machine comprising applying a line of adhesive to the sheet paper and initial folding said sheet of paper parallel to the line of adhesive on the sheet for producing multi-page signatures.

United States Patent De Lise et al. Nov. 4, 1975 METHOD FOR THE HIGHSPEED FOLDING 3,588,085 6/1971 Bailey 270/53 0F SHEET PAPER 3,743,2737/1973 Katz 270/37 3,784,185 1/1974 Katz 270/37 [75] Inventors: StephenW. De Lise, West Islip; Frank C. De Lise, Nissequogue, bot f PrimaryExaminer-Robert W. Michell 73 S & F D Rea C Assistant Examiner-A. Heinz1 lgnee Lynbrooi y orporauon Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Stanley IraLaughlin [22] Filed: Jan. 25, 1974 [21] App]. No.: 436,716 [57] ABSTRACT[52] US. Cl. 270/37; 270/53 A process for the high speed folding Ofsheet paper [51] Int. Cl. B4lL 43/12 em loying an automatic foldingmachine comprising [58] Field Of Search 270/ 37-38, applying a line ofadhesive to the sheet paper and ini- /5 93/61 62 tial folding said sheetof paper parallel to the line of adhesive on the sheet for producingmulti-page signa- [56] References Cited tures.

UNITED STATES PATENTS 494,233 1/1893 Scott 270/13 3 Claims, 1-11 DrawingFigures sheet 1 012 I 3,917,251

US. Patent Nov. 4, 1975 METHOD FOR THE HIGH SPEED FOLDING OF SHEET PAPERand pasting of sheet paper to produce eight, 12, 16, 24

to 64 page signatures, suchas brochures, flyers and booklets. Thefolding processes inthese machines comprise the steps of positioning thesheets of paper on a conveyor belt, applying an adhesive to the sheetsof paper, cross folding of the sheets of paper in the buckle unit, rightangle folding relative to the initial fold of the paper in the knifeunit or another'buckle unit, and f1- nally trimming the pages to produceaneight page signature. If additional pages are required, additionalsteps employing knife or buckle "units before the steps of trimming thepages occur.

Present folding processes present 'm'any disadvantages such as when theadhesive is applied at the center of the sheets of paper before thebuckle plate rollers, grooves are required in these-rollers so that theadhesive does not spread as the paper passes through these rollers.Although application of the adhesive to positions other than the centerof the paper is possible, it is usually avoided because such operationsentail machining additional grooves in the rollers. Also additionalgrooves may be the cause of undesired marks and defects in any paperpassing through the rollers. Furthermore, the adhesive builds up in thegrooves on the rollers requiring increased maintenance and loss ofproduction time. Likewise, the adhesive gets on other parts of the papercausing a higher percentage of rejects.

Cross folding of the paper requires sheets of paper having alongitudinal dimension at least greater than twice that of one of thedimensions of the signature. Such papers may be difficult to control onthe conveyor and result in a high percentage of rejections as well asloss of production time due to these rejections.

It is an object of Applicants invention to provide a method forincreasing production of present high speed folding machines.

It is another object of Applicants invention to provide a method that issimple, economical and efficient for producing signatures havingdifferent sizes and shapes.

It is a further object of Applicants invention to employ presentlydesigned equipment with less maintenance and less machine down time foroperating changes.

It is still even a further object of Applicants inventive method toavoid employing sheets of paper of cumbersome lengths which are tooawkward to be controlled properly in the machine.

The invention relates to a process in which the line of adhesive isapplied either on or off center of the sheet paper in a directionparallel to its side edges and subsequently folding the paper parallelto the line of adhesive.

Applicants inventive method will be better understood by reference tothe following drawings:

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a conventional automatic foldingmachine.

FIG. 2 shows the folding machine of FIG. 1 modified in accordance withApplicants inventive method.

FIGS. 3(a), 3(b) and 3(a) illustrate prior art folding techniques of theautomatic folding machine in FIG. 1 in a conventional sequence forforming an eight page signature. I

FIGS. 4(a), 4(b) and 4(0) illustrate Applicants inventive method tosequentially form an eight page signature.

FIGS. 5(a), 5(b) and 5(c) illustrate Applicants inventive methodsequentially forming a plurality of eight page signatures.

' FIG. 1 shows a conventional combination automatic folding machine forthe high speed folding of sheet paper to produce signatures usuallyhaving eight, 1 2, 16 to 64 pages of various sizes. The sheet paper 10is individually supplied to buckle plate unit 14 via conveyorbelt'system l2 and buckle roller system 16 for cross folding. In orderto have the pages fastened together, it is'necessary to apply a line ofadhesive 32 (see FIG. 3a); prior to cross folding, and this implementedby conventional adhesive dispensing device l8'positioned by supportmembers 20. After the sheets of paper have been crossfolded foldedtraversely to the line of adhesive deposited by adhesive dispensingdevices 18 in buckle plate unit 14, they are then individually suppliedto knife folding unit 22 via conveyor belt system 24 for folding that isparallel to 'thelineof adhesive on the sheets of paper. Positioning theadhesive dispensing means 18 before the buckle plate roller 16 requiresthat a groove 26 be machined into buckle plate roller 16 to allow theline of adhesive 32 (FIG. 3a) on the sheets of paper to pass throughwithout contacting the rollers.

As shown in FIG. 3(a), the conventional combination high-speed foldingmachine cross folds a sheet of paper 30 about axis x-x' in buckle plateunit 14 (FIG. 1) after application of adhesive 32 along the axis y-y'from dispensing means 18 (FIG. 1). The resultant from this operation isshown in FIG. 3(b) and comprises two sheets 30(a) and 30(b) joined attheir centers 34 and tops 36. Folding of this four page resultantparallel to the line of adhesive 32 in knife unit 22 (FIG. 1) results inan eight page signature as shown in FIG. 3(0) when the top section istrimmed off. As a separate sentence Subsequent folding either parallelor traverse to the line of adhesive is implemented by means ofadditional conventional folding apparatus (not shown).

Applicants invention relates to modifying the conventional combinationhigh-speed folding machine as shown in FIG. 2. Buckle plate unit 14 isremoved and the adhesive dispensing means 18 is substituted thereforepositioned before knife folding unit 22. Modifying the folding machinein this manner provides the advantage that the buckle plate rollers ofthe machine do not require grooves for the adhesive and therefore theadhesive dispensing means may be positioned anywhere along the surfaceof the sheets of paper. Likewise, for the same reason, any number ofadhesive dispensing means may be utilized as more fully described in thefollowing paragraphs.

As shown in FIG. 4(a), the folding machine as modified in accordancewith Applicants inventive method parallel folds sheets of paper 40 aboutaxis y-y after application of line of adhesives 42a or 42b parallel tothe y-y' axis from dispensing means 18' and 18" as shown in outline inFIG. 2. After the knife fold on axis y-y', the resulting four pagesignature without the adhesive contacting the rollers is shown in FIG.4b and comprises two sheets 40a and 40b joined at their centers 44 andone edge 48 shown on the left hand side in 3 this Figure. An eight pagesignature is shown in FIG. 4(c) when the two sheets are again folded inanother knife or buckle unit, and the edge 48 trimmed.

Although, it might appear that the same results are derived from the twoprocesses described above, the advantages of Applicants inventive methodwill be more readily discerned upon closer scrutiny. Since Applicantsadhesive applications can be positioned anywhere in a traverse positionmore readily without the necessity of machining grooves in the rollersas is presently required by conventional methods, a plurality ofadhesive applicators can be used in Applicants method to increase theproduction of signatures of any size or shape as described as follows inreference to FIG. 5. Applying line of adhesive 52a and 52b to sheet 50at locations which arenot symmetrical relative to axis y-y' willproduce, after the the fold is parallel to said lines of adhesive madealong the axis yy, two sheets 50a and 50b.

These sheets are joined at three places; centers 54a and 54b equidistantfrom axis y-y' and center 58, and center 58 and edge 60, respectively,and at axis y'y' as shown in FIG. 5(b). Additional folding along 54a and54b will produce a pair of eight page signatures when cut along center58 as shown in FIG. 5(0).

It is obvious that although Applicants inventive method has beendescribed with respect to the above mentioned embodiments, said methodis not so limited, but is applicable to such other embodiments as can beconstrued within the spirit and scope of the following claims.

We claim:

1. A method for the highspeed folding of individual on a portion of saidsurface on one side of said fold line i to adhere 'to a portion of saidsame surface on the other side of said fold line, (3) folding eachfolded sheet one or more times upon itself parallel to and coincidingwith each of said lines of adhesive and said first fold line and trimingthe first fold of said sheets to produce muIti-page signatures.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the surfaces of each sheetcontact and adhere substantially throughout the entire line ofadhesives.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said folding step comprisesfolding along the center axisof said sheet.

1. A method for the high speed folding of individual sheets of papertraveling in a direction along a conveying means comprising the orderedsteps of (1) applying adhesive to a surface of each sheet along one ormore off-center lines parallel to said direction of travel, (2)immediately folding each sheet upon itself along a first fold lineparallel to and not coinciding with any of said lines of adhesive tocause the line or lines of adhesive on a portion of said surface on oneside of said fold line to adhere to a portion of said same surface onthe other side of said fold line, (3) folding each folded sheet one ormore times upon itself parallel to and coinciding with each of saidlines of adhesive and said first fold line and triming the first fold ofsaid sheets to produce multi-page signatures.
 2. A method as claimed inclaim 1 wherein the surfaces of each sheet contact and adheresubstantially throughout the entire line of adhesives.
 3. A method asclaimed in claim 1 wherein said folding step comprises folding along thecenter axis of said sheet.